YOU’RE A BIG DEAL!
The very first time I heard the audible voice of God, apart from my own voice in my spirit, was in 2006. I heard the Lord say, “THINK BIG, THINK BIGGER, THINK BIGGER and NEVER STOP THINKING ABOUT HOW BIG I AM”. God is calling us to think BIGGER! HE is calling us to consider HIS BIGNESS! But in order to receive a BIG revelation of the BIG THINGS that God has in store for you, you are going to have to SEEK HIM, in a BIG WAY! You see, the key to BIG FAITH can be found here;
Hebrews 11:6;
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who COMES TO HIM must believe that…HE REWARDS those who EARNESTLY SEEK HIM.
You see without faith, it IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD. Therefore we WE MUST BELIEVE that HE REWARDS those who EARNESTLY SEEK HIM. It says, there “WE MUST BELIEVE in and EXPECT a REWARD!”
Now, you can conclude that the PREREQUISITE to THE BIG REWARD is to SEEK God in a BIG WAY. The very first REWARD we receive is HIM. With HIM and HIS PRESENCE, comes BIG VISIONS and DREAMS. These DREAMS AND VISIONS come in the form of PROMISE! We NEVER get the fulfillment of the DREAM or VISION for our lives all at once, but we get the seed to the DREAM and it comes in the form of PROMISE!
The SEEKING leads to FINDING GOD and when you FIND GOD, He tells you HIS PLANS for your life! These PLANS for your life, come in the form of PROMISE SEEDS! These PROMISE SEEDS will quicken your spirit and EMPOWER your FAITH to carry you through to the fulfillment of the PROMISE. The promise always comes with uncertainty, ups and downs, and will lead you into the unknown; a place of total dependence on God.
One of the greatest VISIONARIES of the entire bible was Abraham! Abraham received the seed (PROMISE), that spoke of a Seed (CHRIST), that would bear more seeds (THE CHURCH, YOU)! We are going to lay a quick foundation. It was God who had given understanding of this relationship to the Apostle Paul;
Galatians 3
16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your Seed,” meaning one person, WHO IS CHRIST. 29 If you belong to Christ, then YOU ARE ABRAHAM’S SEED, and heirs according to the PROMISE.
Therefore we are the seed of Christ and Christ is the SEED of Abraham. Therefore, we can PARTAKE of the BLESSING given to ABRAHAM through Christ Jesus! That’s why scripture says;
Galatians 3
14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham MIGHT COME to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that BY FAITH we might receive the PROMISE of the Spirit.
The BLESSING given to ABRAHAM has come to me and has come to you! Glory to God! However, it says in the last scripture, by FAITH. In order to receive the fullness of this BLESSING, we have to do what ABRAHAM did to receive the fullness of THIS BLESSING. We have to INCREASE OUR FAITH! So how will we increase our FAITH? We begin by seeking God, in the way Abraham did. Abraham built an altar to seek and commune with God everywhere he lived! He didn’t always know where he was going or what he was doing, but one thing remained consistent in his life, he SOUGHT AFTER GOD. Let’s take a closer look;
Genesis 12
7 SO HE BUILT AN ALTAR there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent. THERE HE BUILT AN ALTAR to the Lord and CALLED ON THE NAME OF THE LORD.
Genesis 13
3 From the Negev he went FROM PLACE TO PLACE until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first BUILT AN ALTAR.
18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There HE BUILT AN ALTAR to the Lord.
Do you see the correlation? Abraham made an effort to HEAR the voice of God! Abraham, by faith, sought God and called on the name of the Lord! No matter where he was living, he had to make a place in his life to commune with and HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD in his spirit man. This was the SECRET to Abraham’s SUCCESS! HE SOUGHT GOD!
Therefore, SEEKING is the SECRET to your SUCCESS! We must hear from God, HIS DREAMS AND PLANS for our life.
Now let’s go on and discover what GOD said to ABRAHAM and in the PROCESS, PREPARE yourself for HIM to speak to you too! You who are reading this book right now, are SEEKING GOD and HE IS ABOUT TO REWARD YOU in a BIG WAY! First HE is going to change YOUR PERSPECTIVE, then YOUR LIFE WILL FOLLOW! The LORD wants to REWARD you and HE WILL! It is HIS WILL that you live BIG and that you give HIM BIG GLORY! Without further adieu, let’s look at the BIG REWARDS Abraham received as a result of seeking God in a BIG WAY!
ABRAHAM – BIG FAITH, LITTLE FEAR!
Genesis 12 :1
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
Every principle and command of God comes with a Promise. Let’s put it this way; Every PRINCIPLE comes with a PROMISE or PRIZE, as POWER and PASSION, to fulfill the PRINCIPLE or command itself. God will never ask you to do something that HE does not properly MOTIVATE you for! If God asks you to do something BIG, he will PROMISE a BIG reward. The Lord knows how to MOTIVATE. HE wants his children operating with the right motives, focusing on the PRIZE OR PROMISE of the PRINCIPLE. Therefore, when He tells you to do something, HE, by GRACE (PROMISES), will give you a WORD or VISION to carry you through the difficult times. This is what He did with Abraham! He said, “Go…” But then God said,
Genesis 12:2-3
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
and later GOD PROMISES…
Genesis 22:17
I WILL surely bless you and make your descendants as NUMEROUS as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.
You see, God had called Abraham to follow him, and there were going to be some difficult times ahead, and the Lord knew that if Abraham were going to make it, he would need more than just a command, he would need a PROMISE for the fulfillment of the command. And what was Abraham’s reward? “I WILL make you into a GREAT nation, I WILL make your name GREAT, and I WILL BLESS you.. I WILL make your family NUMEROUS… and ALL peoples on the earth will be BLESSED THROUGH YOU.”
Notice how the Lord starts with, “I will bless you,” and then follows with, “…and all the peoples will be blessed THROUGH YOU”? That’s because Abraham’s blessing had a PURPOSE. His PURPOSE was to BE BLESSED IN ORDER TO BE A BLESSING! The blessing on HIS LIFE was for himself and OTHERS TOO! The Lord wanted him to know that HIS PURPOSE in blessing him, was so he could bless the world! The GREATNESS GOD was about to bestow upon his life was to be SHARED and APPROPRIATED in the lives of others. Surely, the Lord WILL BLESS you too! Therefore, you could say, The PROMISE and PRIZE of HIS PRINCIPLE imparts the appropriate PASSION to fulfill HIS PURPOSE.
Not only does the Lord want to BLESS YOU, but he wants to make you into a GREAT NATION. He wants to make YOUR NAME GREAT! Why? So that you GLORIFY HIM by MAKING OTHERS GREAT TOO! You see the Lord said;
Genesis 18:19
For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
The Lord has chosen you too! He has chosen you SO THAT YOU WILL DIRECT your children and followers after you, TO KEEP THE WAY OF THE LORD (which is a life of faith). Which ultimately, HE WILL bring about what HE has PROMISED to you! So ask yourself, what has the Lord promised to you? HE PROMISED to make YOUR NAME GREAT and to make you into a GREAT NATION! You see, GREATNESS is the WILL OF GOD for your life. This is GOD’S WILL! Now before we continue, we must at this point define GREAT in the HEBREW.
http://biblehub.com/hebrew/1419.htm
1419. gadol
Original Word: גָּדוֹל
Phonetic Spelling: (gaw-dole’)
Definition (NASB): “BIGGER”
The bible also uses the HEBREW word, “biḡ·ḏōl”, and “biḡ·ḏō·lō·wṯ” for our english Word “great”. Notice how these HEBREW words are prefixed, “big”. Notice how great is translated primarily, “BIG”.
Therefore, the Lord has PROMISED to make you into a BIG NATION, to make your name BIG and your following BIG! This is the PROMISE of God for your life! Are you having a hard time believing this? Well, did you know that EVERY spiritual blessing in the bible for those who have a covenant with God through Christ Jesus, is YES? Every last one of them! Now, you might be saying, well that was a promise given to only Abraham! But I say, If God did it for Abraham, He CAN AND WILL do it for you! All you have to do is JUST BELIEVE! But don’t believe me, believe the bible. What does it say, about you and who are in Christ Jesus?
Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who HAS BLESSED US in the heavenly realms with EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN CHRIST.
How many blessings? EVERY BLESSING! How many? Every last one IN CHRIST JESUS! So the only question is, Are you in Christ Jesus? In Christ, is EVERY LAST SPIRITUAL BLESSING in the HEAVENLY REALMS. You still aren’t convinced? Are you thinking that this was a specific promise just for Abraham and you don’t qualify to RECEIVE the same PROMISE? Well, then you are right, YOU DON’T QUALIFY. Your only qualification is your FAITH! But in order to receive the fullness of this PROMISE, we are going to INCREASE YOUR FAITH until you RECEIVE IT! We have so much more for you, just hang on. Your faith will reach RADIOACTIVE status very soon here. Let’s just keep laying a foundation.
Jesus is the Author of our Faith, yet Abraham is the father of our faith and it’s through the relationship that Abraham had with God, in faith, that we understand the dynamics of the faith and righteousness working interdependently. Without getting into the dynamics of faith, let’s activate and stir our faith by meditating on the PROMISES that God gave ABRAHAM. Let’s refocus on his response to those PROMISES. The Lord also said;
Genesis 15
15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your VERY BIG REWARD.”
The Lord promised BIG REWARDS, but the Lord HIMSELF is the “VERY” BIG REWARD that leads to the BIG REWARDS! In other words, the BIGGEST REWARD will always BE HIM! Read the above scripture one more time. The Lord said, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield.” The Lord commanded Abraham to FEAR NOT, but then gave him the WORD he needed to fulfill the command to “fear not.”
See how good God is? Every command or PRINCIPLE comes with a PROMISE and inner spiritual PROVISION in the form of PROMISE! The PROMISE is the innate POWER to fulfill the PRINCIPLE of HIS PURPOSE! God is so good! No wonder Abraham had such BIG FAITH! He had a revelation of his BIG FATHER! OUR FATHER says the same thing to you, who are chosen, reading this book! He says HE IS WITH YOU! HE IS YOUR SHIELD AND VERY BIG REWARD!
LOT – LITTLE FAITH, BIG FEAR!
In the midst of Abraham hearing from God and receiving such POWERFUL PROMISES for his future and the future of his followers, was Lot. Lot was there much of the time with Abraham. But I am sure he did not adopt the same habit patterns of SEEKING God in a BIG WAY. In fact, painted on the backdrop of Abraham’s BIG FAITH, is Lot’s LITTLE FAITH, mixed with MUCH FEAR. It’s not really obvious, but we are going to reveal Lot’s SMALL LIMITED MINDSET as a result of his LACK of seeking the VOICE of God! Let’s begin.
God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, in Genesis 19. Two angels came to save Lot, who was a righteous man. However, you CAN be a righteous man and yet still have little faith along with a small limited mindset. So the angels gave Lot direction and Lot responds;
Genesis 19
17 Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away! 18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great favor to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die.
Ok, here we can see that Lot is given specific direction and counsel by the Angel of the Lord, who is saving him to flee to the mountains. HOWEVER, Lot tells the angels that he CAN’T. How many of your friends have you told to step out in faith and do something beyond what they have done before and they tell you, “I can’t!”. They have an ‘I can’t’ attitude. They begin calling the direction of GOD, the direction of the devil, and are EXPECTING FAILURE! Every direction they see is death and destruction which stems from their FEAR! Well, this is Lot. He says, “or I’LL DIE!”. But wait, it gets better. Then he says;
Genesis 19
20a Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small (insignificant, to grow little). Let me flee to it—it is very small (insignificant growth, small), isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” (parenthesis added)
Now, let’s look at this very close. First Lot says, “Look, here is a town near enough to run to.” You see, most of us are just like Lot. Rather than believing God for BIG THINGS, we only want IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION. We only want to go after what is fast, quick, and may make more sense to us. Far too often we settle for LEAST, instead of trusting God. We should be waiting in FAITH to see God do what He said HE WILL DO and we give up on HIS DREAMS that HE told us! We quit trying and settle for the 30 fold, rather than receiving the 100 fold BEST BY FAITH.
Then he goes on to further reveal the true condition of his heart by saying, it is small. Now, if you look up the Greek word used here for ‘small’, you’ll find it’s, Strongs 4705- mitsar, which means INSIGNIFICANT. So my question to you is, are you going to believe God that He has BIG PLANS for your life or SMALL PLANS for your life? Are you going to be counted among those who have faith, or those who have fear and doubt? Are you going to receive and believe the BIG PLANS of God for your life, or would you rather tell GOD what you think is best. Or rather, receiving and stepping out in HIS BIG PLANS! Well this is what Lot did, let’s read on;
Genesis 19
20b Let me flee to it—it is very small (insignificant growth, small), isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”(That is why the town was called Zoar.) Zoar means small.
So Lot is operating with a SMALL LIMITED MINDSET! Rather than taking the instruction from the LORD, He decides to take the easy and SMALL route in FEAR. He then asks, “Let me flee to it – it is very small”. Notice how God spoke to Abraham? He promised Abraham BIG REWARDS and then said, VERY BIG REWARD. This is the EXACT OPPOSITE of Lot’s language. Conversely, Lot said, “It is SMALL, VERY SMALL.” So Lot has not learned to listen to nor heed the direction of the Lord because if he had, HIS LANGUAGE WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
You see when God begins revealing HIS BIG PLANS for your life, your perspective changes, your outlook changes, your speech changes, and you begin believing GOD for the impossible. However, if we fail to seek God, then we fail to hear HIS PLANS, WHICH ARE ALWAYS BIG. We then begin leaning on our own plans, which are always smaller than HIS. A life without the direction and voice of God, is a life with the direction and voice of the sinful nature and Satan. So Lot is CONFIDENT that if he goes to the mountains, his “life will be spared.” But will it? Let’s find out what happens next;
Genesis 19
30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave.
Wow! Notice how initially, Lot was FEARFUL OF THE MOUNTAINS and tells God that the VERY SMALL PLACE will give him life. So he goes to Zoar, THE SMALL PLACE, and THEN is FEARFUL OF THE SMALL PLACE! You see it’s not the mountains or the small place that is the issue. IT’S LOT’S FEAR and his SMALL MINDSET! Lot doesn’t know what to do or where to go! In the midst of it all, he is not COMFORTED by the GOOD AND BIG PLANS that GOD has for HIS life. Why? Because he didn’t SEEK GOD in the BIG WAY that Abraham did. Therefore, he didn’t get the BIG PLANS AND BIG FAITH that Abraham did!
He wasn’t empowered by the PROMISES, he was empowered by a POOR, SMALL LIMITED MINDSET. Choosing the IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION and not BELIEVING that God had BIG AND GOOD PLANS FOR HIS LIFE! In the end, rather than living in a WIDE OPEN BIG SPACE, he lived in a SMALL CAVE (dark place), IN FEAR.
This will not be your ‘LOT’, no pun intended. After reading this book, you will be so EMPOWERED with PROMISE, that you will be UNDEFEATABLE and UNSTOPPABLE in every adventure in life! You will SUCCEED at whatever God leads you to do! You will RECEIVE the VERY BIG REWARD AND REWARDS that God has WILLED FOR YOU as you begin seeking HIS VOICE.
GREATER = BIG = MEGA!
John 14:12
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even GREATER (BIGGER) things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Before we start, let’s define the New Testament Greek word, that we translate in English, for GREATER. You’ll find out below it means BIGGER, or BIG!
3173. MEGAS
Original Word: μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα
Part of Speech: Adjective; Adverb, Comparative
Transliteration: MEGAS!!!!!
Phonetic Spelling: (meg’-as)
Definition (NASB): BIG, ABUNDANT
Webster’s Dictionary Definition for MEGA: unit of measurement denoting MILLION
As you can see above, Great and Greater in the New Testament is the greek word “MEGA” and also is translated BIG and BIGGER! Therefore we can conclude that the Lord Jesus Christ was saying in the scripture above, that JESUS himself, has ORDAINED MEGA things for you! Hallelujah! Receive it right now, in the name of Jesus! The Lord has ORDAINED BIG and BIGGER THINGS for you! Yes you! Even BIGGER and “MEGA” for you! MEGA IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE! That’s good news!
It is the will of the FATHER that you save MILLIONS (MEGAS), of souls! Transform MILLIONS (MEGAS) of lives! It’s the will of the Father that you make MEGA MONEY! This is the will of the Father because of Jesus Christ. When Jesus went to the FATHER and poured out the SPIRIT on all believers, HE gave a MEGA ANOINTING. You must receive this. All you have to do is believe. Receive your MEGA ANOINTING! It’s yours, in Jesus Name. It will produce GREATER WORKS than that of Jesus. I didn’t say it, Jesus did. Don’t get mad at me, I am just quoting Jesus.
MEGACHURCH
So let’s talk about the MEGA churches. You hear a lot about megachurches and how they are too big, all they want is your money and are full of sinners because they don’t preach the full gospel. They add that those mega church preachers are false prophets and it goes on and on and on. The mega churches get a lot of flack from the rest of the body of believers. So what denotes a mega church anyway? What defines a mega church? Let’s look at this a little closer.
From Wikipedia
The label of “megachurch” has come to denote any congregation with an attendance of 2000 or more persons each week at its worship services. The Hartford Institute’s database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000.
Fifty churches aren’t a whole lot. I foresee you will be number 51. Why not you? The Lord has ordained MEGA IN YOUR LIFE. You better believe it, or somebody else will! That’s only 1 per state. God is going to do it. All you have to do is stand in FAITH for what HIS WORD SAYS. Stand in faith with JESUS, who is the WORD, saying that you WILL DO GREATER. Your only job is to take that WORD and RUN WITH IT. Repeat after me, MEGA! Mega is yours. Just keep lifting up the Name of Jesus and HE SAID;
John 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
The key is to keep MAGNIFYING the name of the Lord. Magnify means to make BIGGER. As you make HIM BIGGER, He will make YOU BIGGER. Sow into the Lord’s life and HE WILL SOW INTO YOURS 30, 60, and even 1000 FOLD! This is also known as MEGA MULTIPLICATION AND MEGA MAGNIFICATION. Do you want MEGA? Do you want to have a MEGA impact on this planet? Then right now, in Jesus name say, Lord, I KNOW MEGA IS YOUR WILL, so please give us MEGA! There you go. Consider it done by RADIOACTIVE FAITH. Get ready for JESUS TO DRAW MEGA PEOPLE!
Acts 2:41
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3,000 were added to their number that day.
THE FIRST ‘MEGA’ CHURCH. The first day on the scene, Peter and the Apostles had a MEGA CHURCH, by the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT POURED OUT ON THEM. I told you, this is the will of the FATHER. This is exactly what JESUS SAID, “And MEGA shall they do, because I am going to the Father.” This was our mold. The early church is our mold and foundation of what we as the church are supposed to be built upon. They began as a MEGA CHURCH.
So where did they get this FAITH FROM? From Jesus! Jesus is the author of RADIOACTIVE FAITH. Someone might say, ‘How dare you think they could have 3,000 people following you?’ The answer is, they are following Jesus. Jesus draws to himself. Jesus is also doing his work THROUGH US. We come in JESUS’’ NAME and not our own. Then they grew even more! ‘Wait a minute’, says the doubter, ‘They can’t do that!’ Oh yes, they can. Especially when it’s God giving the INCREASE. This is HIS WILL. If HE said it, I believe it.
Well you might be saying again, ‘This only happened to the early church. This can’t happen instantly like it did for Peter and the Apostles!’ Well, it has. Let’s talk about Oral Roberts. Do you want to know how he instantly became a MEGA CHURCH? HE was doing a tent revival and a man came in the tent to shoot him. The man stepped up to him, shot at him at point blank range and couldn’t kill him. No bullet was able to hit him. He just kept on laying hands and ignored the man.
All of a sudden, his name went viral over the papers internationally and everyone heard about the miracle. As a result, people from all over the world were coming to the tent revival and he INSTANTLY had a mega church! Are you ready? Keep magnifying the name of the Lord and believe that IT CAN HAPPEN. All that is required is HIS GRACE that comes by RADIOACTIVE FAITH. Your faith has to be in HIS WORD and you MUST KNOW WHAT HIS WORD SAYS rather than what somebody else says. He says, you shall do MEGA!
Acts 4:4
4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
This could have been between 12,000 men, women, and children. So the mega churches of today, those who are in the top 50 in the United States, are just like the early church. They are only modeling after and seeing the INCREASE of the early church. So what about you? Yes, through unity and power in agreement, you and 12 others could very well form a government of believers that could support a MEGA CHURCH. The Lord saw it fit for the disciples. Why not you? Let’s go on reading scripture on this;
Matthew 14:19-21
21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Notice the correlation? Jesus was spiritually feeding five thousand people. The disciples had seen Jesus do it and they had faith that they could do it. They had RADIOACTIVE FAITH! Show us, Lord, what is possible! The Lord showed them and HE is going to SHOW YOU TOO! The disciples grew after the 5,000, so they did MEGA. They did BIGGER! They just STARTED WITH 5,000 men, besides women and children. That was just the seed to their ministry. The conclusion is, is that Jesus will give you the CAPACITY and ANOINTING to do GREATER than HE DID. MEGA IS IN YOUR FUTURE.
So let’s talk about a modern day MEGACHURCH, specifically.
LAKEWOOD CHURCH
Now, let’s not hate on Joel Osteen. If some of you didn’t know, Joel Osteen gets a lot of persecution and condemnation. Most of that comes from the church itself. I want you to know, if you didn’t already, that Joel Osteen has the GIFT OF FAITH and the GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT. Therefore, when he reads the bible, ALL HE SEES is FAITH AND ENCOURAGEMENT. These are his gifts and he is using them in proportion to the FAITH GOD has given him. He’s not a DELIVERANCE minister, a MIRACLES minister, or A LOT of what other PREACHERS are. He’s NOT SUPPOSED TO BE. So what about Lakewood Church and the family of believers that oversee it?
From Wikipedia (start)
Lakewood Church is a non denominational charismatic Christian megachurch located in Houston, Texas. It is the largest congregation in the United States, averaging more than 43,500 in attendance per week. The 16,800-seat Lakewood Church Central Campus, home to four English language services and two Spanish language services per week, is located at the former Compaq Center. Joel Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church with his wife, Victoria, who serves as co-pastor. Lakewood Church is evangelical and charismatic in belief. (LOCAL IMPACT)
The church’s weekly services are broadcast on Trinity Broadcasting Network and Daystar Television Network, as well as local channels in most major US markets. Lakewood also appears on secular networks, such as Fox Network, ABC Family, and USA Network. Osteen’s sermons are also televised in more than 100 countries, with an estimated 7 million viewers each week. (WORLDWIDE IMPACT)
From Wikipedia (end)
You know, a lot of people have been beat up by the gospel and many are demon focused. Lakewood is broadcasting HOPE, FAITH AND LOVE. They broadcast to 7 MILLION viewers each week, all around the world, and even in MUSLIM COUNTRIES. They are bringing HOPE to those who are in BONDAGE, reminding them that GOD IS A GOOD GOD. So how many viewers? MEGA x 7!
This ministry has captured MEGA! Many people hate this church merely because they say, ‘It’s so big!’ But is it? Is this ministry really BIG? Compared to who? Compared to what? Size is relative. But I submit to you today, that Joel’s ministry is small, compared to some ministries around the globe. Now what? It’s time to really make them hate! Let’s expand our VISION. Let’s look at,
YOIDO FULL GOSPEL CHURCH
From Wikipedia (start)
There are big churches, and then there’s the Yoido Full Gospel Church here in Seoul, South Korea. It’s the mother of megachurches, with the largest congregation in the world.
Even though the first Christian missionaries arrived in Korea in 1784, the so-called Hermit Kingdom continued to be Buddhist until about 60 years ago. That was about the time Pastor David Cho founded what became the Yoido Full Gospel Church, which now has missionaries of its own in 67 countries.
Actually, Pastor Cho is one of the most revered evangelists in Korea. He was a Buddhist until he rejected his religion when he was near death from tuberculosis. He says that’s when Jesus Christ appeared to him in the middle of the night and told him to preach the gospel. So he did. When the country was suffering in poverty and desperation after the Korean War, he preached the gospel of hope through prayer.
On a typical day 200,000 will attend one of seven services along with another two or three hundred thousand watching them on TV in adjoining buildings or satellite branches. While some other churches may be losing members, this one just keeps growing. The main sanctuary here holds 21,000 worshipers packed to the rafters seven times every Sunday. Each service has its own orchestra, its own choir, its own pastor.
From Wikipedia (end)
There was a man who believed God for BIG and MEGA IMPACT. If you read his story, you’ll see that God used the desperation of the KOREAN war to bring HOPE AND HEALING TO THEM, through Pastor David Cho. Wow! Jesus, through this man, changed an ENTIRE NATION on the backdrop of the devastation of the KOREAN WAR. As a result KOREA, went from a BUDDHIST nation, to primarily a CHRISTIAN NATION because of the FAITH of one man named David Cho who stepped out and did what JESUS TOLD HIM TO DO. Woe unto me, if I do not preach the gospel, said Apostle Paul.
Notice the sanctuary holds 21,000 worshippers and fills 7 times a day! Ok, we are going to make a parallel here. Notice the early church started with 3,000. Well Yoido full gospel church has 3,000 (EARLY CHURCH) X 7 X 7 – THAT’S MEGA TIMES SEVEN TIMES SEVEN! MEGA MULTIPLICATION! GREATER AND GREATER! MEGA AND MEGA! All those lives coming together to MAGNIFY and GLORIFY our God. Could you imagine the sound of that? The sound of all those souls worshipping in that stadium. Wow! How awesome and amazing it must be! The Lord has ORDAINED EVEN MEGA THINGS FOR YOU. You might be saying, I can’t IMAGINE THAT! This is our point. For the Lord has said;
Ephesians 3:20
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably BIGGER than all we ASK or THINK or IMAGINE, according to his power that is at work within us!
and again,
1 Corinthians 2:9
9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has THOUGHT” the (BIG) THINGS GOD HAS PREPARED for those who love him
Oh My God! Your faith has OFFICIALLY gone RADIOACTIVE! The LORD has done it again! This book will have a MEGA IMPACT and will touch MEGA SOULS who will have a MEGA IMPACT, until the Lord comes back. Amen. We have just begun. Let’s not stop here as we have just entered the RADIOACTIVE ZONE! Your faith is about to destroy the works of the devil! Scripture says,
Isaiah 54 The Message (MSG)
Spread Out! THINK BIG!
54 1-6 “Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with songs, you who’ve never experienced childbirth!
You’re ending up WITH FAR MORE CHILDREN than all those childbearing women.” God says so!
“Clear LOTS of ground for your tents! Make your tents LARGE. Spread out! THINK BIG!
Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. You’re going to need LOTS OF ELBOW ROOM, for your growing family.
You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities.
Don’t be afraid—you’re not going to be embarrassed. Don’t hold back – YOU’RE NOT GOING TO COME UP SHORT!
MEGA MILLIONS (ATTRACTION)
2 Corinthians 9:8
8 And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].
People follow success and the Lord has PROMISED YOU SUCCESS! The Lord told me, ‘THEY LISTEN TO SUCCESS.’ They may not always be willing to do what it takes, but they will listen. The five-fold Evangelist that I was raised up under, is a double diamond in the Amway business and has an annual salary of 2,000,000 per year. That’s $961/hr. Most people I know here in Florida, on average, make $15/hr with no hope of making more. They are tied into an unexpandable financial system. This evangelist makes 64 times as much in an hour than the average person I know of. That means that a person that makes $15/hr would have to work 64 years to make what he makes in 1 year. Now, how did he do it? Strategy.
The scripture says, “God is ABLE to MAKE EVERY FAVOR and EARTHLY BLESSING COME TO YOU IN ABUNDANCE” and when God says EVERY, he means EVERY. God has led him to a system of growth that allows for HEALTH and WEALTH and gives him the personal freedom to EVANGELIZE the gospel all around the world. THE WORLD PAYS FOR IT, NOT THE CHURCH. He is also able to tithe to the local church $200,000 each year. That tithe has been used to shelter men and women off the streets and to empower them with the Word of God at no cost to them. I, and thousands of others just like me, are a product of that man’s FAITH. Not just him, but many others as well. Somebody is going to have to stand up and BELIEVE GOD that HE IS ABLE!
Our only RESPONSIBILITY is to JUST BELIEVE that HE WHO PROMISED IS ABLE. Are you willing to believe the WORD of GOD WITH ME? Now I am not saying that you should change what you are doing and go after financial riches. Only if the Lord leads you that way, FOR HIS PURPOSE. What I am saying is that if the LORD has called you to HIS PURPOSE, HE IS ABLE to get you the PROVISION for HIS VISION. HE is ABLE TO SEND YOU THOSE WHOM HE HAS RAISED UP as MILLIONAIRES to help FUND THE VISION. You see, the scripture says that HE IS ABLE to do EXCEEDINGLY through the US (NOT JUST ME). God will SEND THE PROVISION for HIS VISION through SOMEBODY, why not you too?
THE LORD said to me, that some Christians see the success of others, in particular, big business owners, and they make it their life goal to make money. But the LORD SAID, ‘Don’t try to become like a MILLIONAIRE, but go after the souls of the MILLIONAIRES and their money will FOLLOW. The world chases money. We are called to CHASE THE LORD and all that we need WILL FOLLOW. However, if the LORD has given you financial STRATEGY, then RECEIVE IT BY FAITH! Rest assured, the strategy will follow the way of GRACE by FAITH, continuously. Did you notice that it says, HE IS ABLE to make ALL GRACE “COME” to you! That means FOLLOW you! It will COME TO YOU. EXPECT IT TO COME! GLORY TO GOD!
But needless to say, God has raised up and is raising up, those who would believe HIM for every SPIRITUAL blessing IN CHRIST JESUS. Not just a few, or some. Scripture does say,
Deuteronomy 8:18
But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the POWER to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
The POWER to produce WEALTH comes according to HIS GRACE AND ANOINTING that He POURS OUT ON YOU through CHRIST JESUS as you seek him by FAITH. Please don’t get me wrong, but the STRATEGY you are waiting for, will come after SEEKING HIM like ABRAHAM. The STRATEGY comes in HIS PRESENCE. Every KING in the bible were only SUCCESSFUL, as long as they CONTINUED TO SEEK THE LORD. HE IS THE STRATEGY and HE IS YOUR SOURCE, continuously. Scripture does say in 2 Chronicles 26:5, “and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.” Everything you need is found in HIS DIRECTION. Let’s continue on with scripture;
Mark 10:29,30
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “NO ONE, who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 WILL FAIL to receive a hundred times as much IN THIS PRESENT AGE: HOMES, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and FIELDS—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.
You see, the Lord has promised to those who leave and give a 100 fold return on their investment. God has the greatest INVESTMENT plan on the earth. The strategy is LEAVE AND GIVE! The Lord understands and has set in place the law of SOWING AND REAPING. He knows the way. Sometimes, He will ask you to LEAVE and GIVE. If He does, WILL YOU DO IT BY FAITH? Will you trust Him with your life and your money? Will you be counted among those who BELIEVE? You know, when speaking of finances, many people quote what Jesus said to the young rich man in defense against FINANCIAL PROSPERITY. They say, “Well, if God wanted us to be financially prosperous, then why did Jesus tell the young rich man to sell all his possessions, and give to the poor?” Well, let’s look at that a little closer;
Matthew 19:21, “Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
The same Jesus who said, “Give and it shall be given unto you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall it be given unto you…” is the same Jesus who said, “sell all your possessions.” Both are giving. In order to have the FAITH and POWER to give, you MUST focus on the PROMISE AND THE PRIZE of the PRINCIPLE. You see, if you focus on the fact that the LORD HAS PROMISED that it WILL be given BACK to you a 100 FOLD, then you might be TEMPTED, in a GOOD WAY, to do what the Lord has PROMISED. HOWEVER, if you focus on what you are going to LOSE, versus WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO GAIN, you might be TEMPTED, in a BAD WAY, to never LEAVE AND GIVE.
There is a TIME and SEASON for everything. There is a SEASON for being TRAINED UP and there is a PROMISE-LAND SEASON. The Lord wasn’t trying to TAKE ANYTHING FROM THE RICH MAN, yet HE was actually TRYING TO GET (TRUE) PROSPERITY TO HIM. The Lord knew that if the rich man INVESTED his MONEY into the KINGDOM of GOD, THAT he would get a RETURN ON HIS INVESTMENT. The LORD has PROMISED 100 FOLD, IN THIS PRESENT AGE, NOT JUST IN THE SWEET BY AND BY. If the RICH man had FAITH in the PRIZE of the PRINCIPLE, it would have PRODUCED the POWER and PASSION needed to apply the PRINCIPLE and he would have EXPERIENCED the PRIZE. He would have PROVEN that for which is PERFECT and apprehended it in this PRESENT age. That is why scripture says;
Romans 12:2
And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind, and ye may PROVE what is the good and PLEASING and PERFECT will of God.
I believe you have RECEIVED by FAITH. Now on to the last point I want to make about this. The scripture says, “…100 FOLD, in this PRESENT AGE.” The Greek word used for “Age”, is KAIRO, STRONGS (2540), which means, fitting time, season, or opportunity. There is a SEASON and there WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY and there WILL BE a FITTING TIME for your PROSPERITY. You have to just believe that it’s coming. When it does come, you MUST receive the STRATEGY and SEASON by FAITH and don’t let no DEVIL IN HELL, convince you that GOD IS NOT ABLE, when HE IS. He wants to MAKE EVERY FAVOR AND EARTHLY BLESSING COME TO YOU in ABUNDANCE.
The Lord is causing US to HAVE FAITH in THE FULLNESS of HIS PROMISES. HE HAS PROMISED PROSPERITY over POVERTY. POVERTY is a curse and we should never accept the CURSE. Jesus had PAID the PRICE and has redeemed us from ALL OF THE CURSE. What is written is OUR REDEMPTION. HE has given US HIS WORD, so that we can RECEIVE IT BY FAITH! HE has given us UNDERSTANDING, so that we can know how to receive HIS WORD. HE has given us STRATEGY and EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING, in HIM, so that we will have all that we need UNTO EVERY GOOD WORK. The SPIRITUAL BLESSING ON YOU has the POWER to produce every natural BLESSING around you! Do you receive that? If you do, then THANK OUR LORD NOW and get EXCITED!
Just remember that HIS PROMISES have PRIORITIES and HIS ultimate PRIORITY is to SEEK HIM. That is why HE said SEEK FIRST. This is your STRATEGY. The STRATEGY to your SUCCESS is found in your SEEKING!
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
MEGA MAGNIFICATION
Psalm 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
If you look up the definition to MAGNIFY, then you will find that MAGNIFY means to make something appear BIGGER, especially with a lens or microscope. God is calling us to MAKE HIM BIGGER! He is calling for us to MAGNIFY Him in a MEGA WAY. For the Lord did say, “If I be LIFTED UP.” That is, if you will MAGNIFY HIM, He will draw all men unto HIMSELF. We must MAGNIFY the LORD! HE must become BIGGER THAN ALL OUR PROBLEMS. HE MUST become BIGGER than the devil. Your MIRACLE is found in your MEGA MAGNIFICATION. Let’s lift HIM UP TODAY! HE IS BIGGER, HE IS ABLE, HE IS, HE IS, HE IS! Nehemiah knew this PRINCIPLE that PRODUCED POWER. That is why he said;
Nehemiah 4:14
14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, WHO IS BIG and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
Nehemiah was operating with a MEGA MAGNIFICATION FAITH. HE knew how to MAKE GOD BIGGER in the sight of others and even in his own sight. Your victory is in your MEGA MAGNIFICATION. There are countless others who faced their SEEMINGLY GIANTS and who, through RADIOACTIVE FAITH, were able to size them up appropriately. The key is not to size them up compared to you, but size them up compared TO YOUR GOD! So the question today is, is HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD? How ABLE is your God? If you will believe that HE IS BIG, then you WILL receive BIG REWARDS. This is the KEY! The PRINCIPLE (key) to BIG REWARDS, is applying BIG FAITH by making GOD BIGGER than whatever you are facing. Amen.
We must make this a habit until it becomes our MINDSET. We are TRANSFORMED by this RENEWING of our MIND. Let’s make it our goal to meditate on HOW BIG OUR GOD IS until our minds are RENEWED to it and until we have a MEGA-MINDSET!
MEGA MINDSET
Jeremiah 32:17 ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your BIG (BIG-TOL) power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.’
We have to speak it out loud. Don’t be afraid to BRAG ON YOUR GOD! Remember your GOD IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDINGLY AND ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL that you could imagine or think. Nothing is too hard for HIM, nothing! So let’s respond with this ATTITUDE. Let’s look at life with this ATTITUDE and let’s live by this attitude. Let it be known, even to you. Preach to yourself of how BIG GOD IS. Remind yourself of HOW BIG GOD IS. Even approach God, based on HOW BIG HE IS. HE MADE IT ALL! HE OWNS IT ALL! HE CAN AND WILL DO WITH IT WHAT HE WANTS. So don’t go to man, but GO TO GOD WHO IS ABLE. Don’t believe Jeremiah? Well even God talks this way about Himself. For he said;
Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
Oh my God! Listen to how the Lord speaks about HIMSELF. For the Lord personally told me, ‘I AM BIG! NEVER STOP THINKING ABOUT HOW BIG I AM! REMEMBER THAT I AM BIG!’ Wow Lord, renew our FAITH EVEN NOW. Never allow us to operate in anything less than this mindset. Lord, keep our minds and spirits always remembering HOW BIG YOU ARE. YOU ARE BIG! This mindset just wasn’t for the old testament prophets, but IS FOR YOU who are IN CHRIST JESUS. For even our Lord Jesus said;
John 10:29-30
My Father, who has given them to me, is BIGGER THAN ALL, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.
Jesus said that nobody is able snatch you out of HIS HAND. HE said, nobody is able to snatch you out of HIS FATHER’S hand either. My God! You are protected and BACKED up by BIGNESS! You have BIG BACKERS. Notice how HE said, “nobody is able”. That’s because He wanted to contrast HIS ABILITY with everybody else’s INABILITY. Even the devils. NOBODY or NOTHING will be able to compare to GOD. Don’t just believe me, BELIEVE HIS WORD. For HE WHO IS ABLE also said;
Romans 8:38-
38 For I am persuaded that neither death NOR life, NOR angels NOR principalities NOR powers, NOR things present NOR things to come, 39 NOR height NOR depth, NOR any other created thing, SHALL BE ABLE, to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That’s a lot of NOR’S! That pretty much covers every base, including you. Your sin is not able! Your past is not able! Your spouse is not able! Your family is not able! Nothing or nobody is able. YET GOD IS ABLE TO DO. God is able to MAKE. God is ABLE! We have to make up our minds that GOD IS ABLE AND WILL SUPPLY everything you need to OVERCOME. You have to just believe and keep on believing. I can hear somebody saying right now, ‘Well what about personal responsibility?’ Your first and ultimate RESPONSIBILITY is to BELIEVE IN HIS ABILITY. Just keep believing and it will PRODUCE in YOU THE POWER of your RESPONSIBILITY. Your power is not in placing your FAITH in your ability, BUT HIS ABILITY! Amen. So don’t be afraid of failure, or them, because the LORD has commanded us to;
Deuteronomy 7:21
21 Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a BIG and awesome God.
Notice here how the Lord gives a solution to the problem in the same verse. He commands no fear THROUGH BIG FAITH. He doesn’t just tell you not to fear, but tells you why you shouldn’t fear. You can see here why. GOD IS A BIG AND AWESOME GOD! He is BIG, GREAT AND BIGGER THAN ALL. HE LIVES IN YOU and OPERATES THROUGH YOU. HE is moving and willing HIS WILL through you. That is why the Lord also said;
1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is BIGGER (MEGA) than the one who is in the world.
Why have you OVERCOME (destiny, legal, progressive)? BECAUSE HE WHO IS IN YOU, IS BIGGER than he who is in the world, that is the devil and the devils children and the devil’s minions. GOD IS MEGA IN YOU! The key to releasing the MEGA FLOW is a MEGA MINDSET. Are you convinced yet that this is the WILL OF GOD for our lives and for our MINDS? A MEGA MINDSET is the key to your success. You have to believe that not only is HE ABLE, but He WANTS to bless you. He wants to see you OVERCOME. What the LORD WANTS AND WILLS, will come to pass because HE IS ABLE TO MAKE IT COME TO PASS. Do you believe this? Now let’s finish this up and let’s PROVE this for you and us. In addition, the Lord has said,
Luke 17:21 “…the kingdom of God is in within you.”
and,
Matthew 13:32
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the BIGGEST of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
This means that the PROMISE SEEDS that GOD has planted WITHIN YOU may seem small now, BUT THEY WILL PRODUCE BIG FRUIT! Just keep seeking God and believe that what HE PROMISES you WILL COME TO PASS. If God said it, we have to BELIEVE IT and all of it. NOT just the COMMAND, but the PRIZE of the PRINCIPLE. Our focus must always be on the VERY BIG REWARD. The LORD SAID HE IS OUR BIG REWARD and He said HE PROMISED BIG REWARDS. However, SEEKING HIM FIRST is the way to both!
So the situation you are in now might look small, but IT WILL GROW. IT WILL BECOME BIG. IT WILL be the BIGGEST. Why? Because HIM WHO PROMISED, IS ABLE to MAKE IT GROW. HE IS ABLE TO give INCREASE. HE is able TO GIVE BIG REWARDS because that is WHO HE IS. They flow FROM WITHIN HIM and will flow from WITHIN YOU TOO because he lives in you! Amen. Hallelujah! The BIG ONE LIVES ON THE INSIDE OF YOU. HE IS BIG! So, let’s finish this chapter with some FAITH CONFESSIONS! You ready? Here we go, say these out loud and speak them to others too.
THINK AGAIN!
You think you can’t be a millionaire? Think again!
You think you can’t be a worldwide evangelist? Think again!
You think you can’t save millions of souls? Think again!
You think you can’t have a ministry? Think again!
You think you can’t get married again? Think again!
You think you can’t get your kids back? Think again!
You think you can’t live an amazing life, that is free from the 9-5? Think again!
You think you can’t ever be somebody great? Think again!
You think you will never quit that addiction? Think again!
You think you can’t walk in the Power of God? Think again!
You think you can’t write Best Seller Books? Think again!
You think you can’t…. you fill in the blank, whatever it is God has called you to… Think again!
Think BIG, Think Bigger, Think Bigger! NEVER STOP THINKING ABOUT HOW BIG I AM, says the LORD!
and then